Kola Superdeep Borehole Facts That Will Leave You Shocked!

The Kola Superdeep Borehole project began in 1970 in the Pechengsky District located in Murmansk Oblast of the Soviet Union or Russia.

As of that date, it was the most invasive or, rather, deepest hole ever dug in the crust. However, the project was stopped due to rising temperatures inside the hole and financial instability, making it near impossible to continue the drilling project.

Amidst the lakes, fog, snow, and cold of the Kola Peninsula, deep in the Arctic Circle, is a Soviet research station. You'll find the crumbling building in the center, a rusty and heavy metal cap covering the concrete floor if you go in.

A thick ring also secures it, and under it, you'll find the way to the so-called 'hell'.

It is a human-made hole drilled into the Earth and is the deepest hole you can find on Earth today. Not only that, but the distance is about 7.5 mi (12.2 km). Since this is the only hole of that depth in the world, the borehole holds the world record.

Mysteries Of Kola Superdeep Borehole

The Kola Superdeep Borehole is a project attempted in 1970. It's the deepest hole but hasn't reached the Earth's mantle. But the project tried to drill as much as possible. In the process, several discoveries were completely unexpected. Some of these unexpected discoveries are:

There was water underground in a large quantity found along the drill path. It was even discovered by scientists that the rocks also contain water. When the engineers cut the ground, they needed to get a new drill machine. Before starting the drilling, scientists calculated that the tubing would take about one million pounds.

The most unexpected thing to happen is that people found helium, nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide in the hole. People have also found so many rock samples from different periods. There was biological activity found about the existence of single-cell organisms deep down.

Many other similar projects were started in the period. In 1957, it was intended in the Pacific Ocean of Mexico named the Project Mohole, but after initial drilling, in 1966, the project was abandoned.

Later in the '90s, German scientists reached the surface about 6 mi (9.6 km), where they hit seismic plates, and the temperature was about 600°F (315.5°C).

There was another attempt to dig into the ocean floor, and it held the deepest offshore, which was about 5 mi (8 km), and that is below the seafloor.

The Kola hole is the deepest and longest globally, nearly 20 years. In 2008, a new record was established in Qatar, where a hole was drilled at about 40,318 ft (12,289 m) deep.

Aftermaths Of Kola Superdeep Borehole

When the project started, several discoveries took place. Some core samples were found and preserved, which people can see at the Kola Core Repository in Zapolyarny, which is about 6 mi (10 km) from the location of the borehole. Unfortunately, in 2005, the lack of money for research equipment and drilling rig permanently stopped the Kola Borehole project.

Later in 1992, when the Kola Borehole project was completely shut down, it was closed down and welded shut. It is one of the deep holes you can find globally, but it remains shut down to this day.

Objective Of The Kola Superdeep Borehole

One of the main reasons the Kola Superdeep Borehole started was pure scientific intrigue. It is because they wanted to find something interesting in the Earth's crust. The hole was drilled from the central hole. A serious set of technical challenges arose when the team started.

The main target of the hole was 49,213 ft (15,000 m), but later the project was abandoned. In 1979, Bertha Rogers hole held the world record in Oklahoma in the US.

By the year 1983, the drill had reached 39,000 ft (12,000 m), and by 1990, it had been assigned a target to reach 44,291 ft (13,500 m), and by 1993, it had to reach 49,212 ft (15,000 m).

Due to the high temperatures, the workers couldn't drill the hole at this position and depth. At that depth, the hole was of the temperature 356°F (180°C).

It was impossible to drill and deform the drill bits and pipes at such temperatures. Apart from this, the rock density was more plastic than the rock. That is why the project was abandoned later in 1992.

FAQs

How hot is it at the bottom of the Kola Superdeep Borehole?

The Kola Borehole was abandoned because of its higher temperature than expected, at 356°F (180°C). It was initially mapped at 212°F (100°C) degrees, which was far from true.

What is the deepest hole in the world?

The deepest hole you can find in the world is the Kola Superdeep Borehole. It is about 40,230 ft (12,262 m) deep.

How far can we dig into the Earth?

The Kola hole is the deepest penetration of the Earth's surface, at 40,230 ft (12,262 m). The German Continental Deep Drilling Program was at 9.1 km (5.7 mi) shown to the Earth's crust.

When was the Kola Superdeep Borehole stopped?

The Kola Hole was stopped in 1992 because it reached a very high temperature of 180 C (356F).

How long would it take you to fall down the Kola Superdeep Borehole?

The height of the deepest hole is 40,230 ft (12,262 m), and if you fall with a gravity force of 9.8 m/sˆ2, you will fall in 50.02 seconds.

Why is the Kola Superdeep Borehole an environmental hazard?

When people start drilling deep into the Earth, then the heat will be so intense, and that is what happens while drilling the deepest hole. It feels like drilling into a volcano with the temperature being about 356 °F (180 °C).

What is at the bottom of the Kola Superdeep Borehole?

There is a hole in the Baltic Shield continental crust about three-quarters of the way through. At the bottom, it reaches the Archean rocks. Scientists have found single-celled organisms about 4.3 mi (7 km) down.

What did we learn from the Kola Superdeep Borehole?

The hole has led to several discoveries. One of these main discoveries is that there is a lot of water at the bottom that is trapped in the rocks and makes up several parts of the crust and Earth's mantle.